Product And Package System To Produce Surface Color Change Through Retention Of Steam

Abstract

A product and package system for producing surface color changes through the retention of steam is provided. The package includes a food base that is rehydrated in the package system in a microwave during a first heating step. A topping component including a browning material is added and then heated during a second heating step to produce browning characteristics to the surface of the food.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for preparing a microwavable food comprising the steps of:
 adding a dehydrated food base and water to a container, the container having a side wall and a central location spaced from the side wall where a radial distance from the container side wall to the central location is not equidistant about a periphery of the container, a cooking chamber of the container containing the dehydrated food base and water, and a steaming chamber in the headspace of the container such that about 40 to about 45 percent of the container volume is the cooking chamber and about 55 to about 60 percent of the container volume is the steaming chamber;   heating the dehydrated food base and water in the cooking chamber of the container in a microwave for a first heating period to form at least a hydrated food base with an amount of residual water separate from the hydrated food base remaining in the cooking chamber after the first heating period;   mixing a sauce component with the hydrated food base and the residual water in the container;   adding a topping component to a top surface of the rehydrated food base to form a topped food material, the topping component including a browning material that is heat activated to effect a color change in the topping component;   covering the topped food material with a lid having a venting system; and   heating the topped food material in the microwave for a further heating period so that the residual water amount, the lid, and the venting system are effective to generate a sufficient amount of steam to be retained in the steaming chamber to achieve a temperature in the headspace of about 200 to about 210° F. for heat activating the browning material to effect the color change in the topping component.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the further heating period is at least about 30 seconds to about 1 minute. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the venting system includes through openings on the lid wherein the through openings provide a venting area of about 0.5 to about 20 percent of the total surface area of the lid. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the residual water is about 8.5 to about 17 grams. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the topping component is about 70 to about 95 percent starch and about 5 to about 30 percent browning agent capable of undergoing a maillard reaction upon exposure to the steam and temperatures achieved in the steaming chamber. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein an anti-foam composition is added to the dehydrated food base and water for the first heating step, the anti-foam composition including about 10 to about 30 percent surfactant, about 50 to about 70 percent instant starch, and at least about 15 percent salt component selected from sodium chloride or a sodium replacer. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the dehydrated food base is selected from the group consisting of pasta, rice, potato slices, bread crumbs, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a ratio of the first heating period to the further heating period effective to hydrate and result in the color change of the topping component is about 5:1 to about 6.75:1. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the steam is generated from the residual water and water provided by the sauce component. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrated food base, sauce component, residual water, and topping component are not mixed or stirred prior to the further heating step so that the topping component remains on an upper surface of the hydrated food base. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the residual water amount, the lid, and the venting system are effective to generate about 0.03 to about 0.5 grams of steam per second. 
     
     
         12 . A microwavable food product system and container comprising:
 a container having a side wall and defining a central location where a radial distance from the container side wall to the central location is not equidistant about a periphery of the container, the container defining a cooking chamber containing the dehydrated food base and a steaming chamber in a headspace above the cooking chamber such that a ratio of the cooking chamber to the steaming chamber is about 1 to about 1.4;   a dehydrated food product base configured to be rehydrated with water by a user during a first heating period in a microwave, the dehydrated food product base contained in the cooking chamber;   a sauce component;   a topping component including a browning material, the topping component configured to be applied to a top surface of the food product base after being rehydrated, the browning material being heat activatable to provide browning characteristics to the top surface of the food product base; and   a lid configured to cooperate with the container, at least one of the container and lid including a venting system having through openings therein of about 0.5 to about 20 percent of the surface area of the container or lid and configured to permit an effective amount of steam to be retained in the steaming chamber to achieve a temperature of about 200° F. to about 210° F. in the headspace above the cooking chamber during microwave heating.   
     
     
         13 . The microwaveable food product system and container of  claim 12 , wherein the container side wall defines at least one corner. 
     
     
         14 . The microwaveable food product system and container of  claim 12 , wherein the residual water amount, the lid, and the venting system are effective to generate about 0.03 to about 0.5 grams of steam per second. 
     
     
         15 . The microwaveable food product system and container of  claim 12 , wherein the topping component is about 70 to about 95 percent starch and about 5 to about 30 percent browning agent capable of undergoing a maillard reaction upon exposure to the steam and temperatures achieved in the steaming chamber. The microwaveable food product system and container of  claim 12 , further comprising an anti-foam composition including about 10 to about 30 percent surfactant, about 50 to about 70 percent instant starch, and at least about 15 percent salt component selected from sodium chloride or a sodium replacer.